Why bills not being sent to standing committees: Congress

Accusing the government of bypassing scrutiny, the Congress on Wednesday questioned why bills are not being sent to standing committees of parliament.

"Standing committees have been made virtually irrelevant. Legislative scrutiny is being bypassed... 51 bills have been brought in. Forty-three of them, including many ordinances, have not been sent to standing committees," Congress leader Anand Sharma said in the Rajya Sabha.

"My question is standing committees are elected committees. If the government does not want the bills to go through standing committees, then what is it planning to do with these committees," he said.

"If the standing committees have to be continued, legislative scrutiny cannot be bypassed."

Supporting him, Naresh Agarwal of the Samajwadi Party said none of the bills introduced in the Lok Sabha is being sent to standing committees.

Several members from opposition parties supported the Congress leader.